Socio-demographic Determinants of the Knowledge of Monkeypox Virus among the General Public: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Center in Nepal

Abstract

Background and Objective Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the causative agent of monkeypox's zoonotic infection and was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). Studies from different countries have shown insufficient knowledge among the general public on MPXV. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of the general public of Nepal on MPXV. Methods Three hundred people were interviewed in person in October 2022, and 282 complete responses were recorded. The questionnaire related to the knowledge of MPXV was derived from a previous study conducted among the general population of Saudi Arabia. Twenty-two questions were included that assessed the knowledge and attitude of Nepalese toward monkeypox. Statistical comparison between high and low knowledge was performed using Pearson's Chi-square test. Logistic regression models were deployed to establish the relationship between participants' knowledge and socio-demographic characteristics. Results Among the total respondents, 53.8% demonstrated high knowledge of monkeypox. People aged 18-25 years, unmarried people, and those living in urban areas had significantly higher levels of knowledge. Most respondents believed that MPXV is not a conspiracy or bioterrorism (63.1%) and agreed that it is likely to affect people's social and economic life as COVID-19 did (67.0%). The history of COVID-19 vaccination (aOR: 2.980; 95%CI: 1.227, 7.236) and the younger age (aOR: 2.975; 95%CI: 1.097, 8.069) were found to be significant determinants of the knowledge of the participants on monkeypox. Conclusion We observed that most Nepalese populations had a high knowledge of monkeypox and that social media was the most valuable source of information.

Knowledge, Attitude and Associated Factors of Monkeypox Infection Among Healthcare Workers in Injibara General Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

“…Moreover, this finding was in contrast with the general population results in Nepal where 53.8% of the study participants had good knowledge; 70 in Saudi Arabia, 48% of the total participants had high knowledge; 71 in Nigeria, 58.7% had good knowledge; 72 in China, 56.5% had a high level of knowledge; 73 in Malaysia, 49.3% of medical students had good mpox knowledge; 74 in Bangladesh, 30.59% medical doctors had good knowledge; 35 55.3% of medical students from 27 low and high-income countries 75 and 26% global healthcare workers had good mpox knowledge. 44 Differences in the study setting, study period, perceptions about mpox infection, source of information, and taking of training could all be contributing factors to this discrepancy.…”

Geographical distribution and the impact of socio-environmental indicators on incidence of Mpox in Ontario, Canada

“…Research has shown that a person’s socio-economic position, which includes factors like education, occupation, and income, can have a significant impact on their overall health (6). Typically, individuals with a lower socio-economic status are more susceptible to health issues and disease infection, hence, contributing to health inequities that impact individuals across all levels of society (1, 18).…”